Explainer | Why are China young professionals so eager to live in nursing homes? Facilities enable ‘lying flat’ lifestyle at minimal costs
- Homes target burned-out professionals in their 20s and 30s
- Many residents are trying to find themselves as their career stall
Retirement homes in China are not just for the elderly, as a new trend has emerged of burned-out professionals seeking a place where they can “retire” extremely early, typically in their 30s.
The facilities embrace lifestyle philosophies such as “Fire” (financial independence, retire early) or “lying flat”, the famous Chinese phrase referring to the life approach to do the bare minimum to get by.
The “nursing homes for the youth” are not unique to tier-one cities and can be found in provinces as different as Yunnan and Shandong, in southwestern and eastern China, respectively.
They tend to focus on the mental well-being of their clients and typically feature bars, cafes and karaoke rooms, offering an outlet for people to socialise, vent and relax.
The Post explains what these “nursing homes” say about the future of China’s workforce.
A reset for the 30-somethings